Apparatus for manufacturing rubber footwear.



PATSNTED JUNE 19, 1966.

. 1 0. MARK; APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED mu. 3i. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

- 4 M. 0. CLARK.

APPARATUS FOR MANUFAGTURING RUBBER FOOTW EAR.

AIPLIUATIOH FILED JAN. 31. I905.

@391 skim/negr V it is susceptible of many morliiiretions nrzi.

distended by pressure preferably exerted contains the hollow body A, preferably of east of a. substantially inflexible, preferably me with t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.-

MAURIUE C. CLARK, OF PROVLDENUE, ltl-JODE ISLAND, ASSIGhlOR TO .MARVEL RUBBER QOllIPANY, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

APPARATUS FDR MANUFACT Apolisstion filed January 31 To all whom it may nun/corn:

Be it known that l, lvliunuon (Z. iLnRK a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Manufacturing Rubber Footwear, of which the following 13 a s'peeificetion.

This'invention is on improvement or mod ifieation in apparatus for the manufacture of re olded footwear, such as that shown. for exam Is, in Letters Patent of the United Shiites to eeks and Russell, No. 233,386. r

In the aceornpanyin 1 drawings I have shown an apparatus em )odying my present invention; but .i do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the tletsiis thereof,

variations without departing f rom ihe scope of my invention Figure I is e side view of e fo it'w'ssr-isst emboding my invention. Fig, 2 top View 0 the some. Fi 3 is 21 vertical section of the some. ig. l. ii oro of thelast and shoe in. the nmld re vuleunizing. Fig. 5 is u longitos, tional View of the some.

The last shown in Figs 1, 2, and 3 consists tallie, portion and a flexible portion provided with means whereby the flexible portion through the medium of a fluid, sue-l1 as air. Certain portions of the boot or shoe mogulcanized under the pressure of the infie'fiiljie portion of the last in opposition to the mold, while other portions are vulcanized under the yielding pressure of'tiie flexible portion of the last in opposition to the mold. 111 the form shown the inflexible portion of the lost metal provided with a. top opening B nnri lateral openings G and conforming approximately to the interior of a shoe'or boot. lt glso pontains the sheet-metal soleplate E, secured to the bottom of the body portion A by screws 6. The flexible portion of the last oonsists of a casing D, made in the form of the interior of the shoe or boot and fittin over the outside of the bod portion A our extending between it and t e soleplste E, fbrmin an air-tight inelosure for the body A,

exception of the opening 6 at the top, which registers with the opening B.

Specification of Letters Patent.

URING RUBBER FOOTWEAR.

Patented June 19, 1906.

mos. iierisl in, 248540.

This flexible lust member is rr-ferebly composed of nmmbinstion oi 0 0th and rubber compound anti Bil} be made of two thicknesses of cloth with a both-roe layer of rubber compound adapted to stand the heat of vulounizstion in repeated use.

At the top of the last secured by the scrswsfe metal plate 1*, having on opening G adapted to register with the openings d and B The flexible member of the last extends between the body A and the plate F, so ssto form an air-ti ht packing. The rigid member of the lust I we contains a. clamp to hohl the inflatable member at the top of the u mr and another clamp to hold the inflat- 0 member at the bottom of the upper or It also provides it (harsher between these clamps to contain the. inflating fluid, such air. .1

Extending upward from the top of the ii piste F and preisrsbiy integral therewith Y e extension H, halving e rhannel H therethrough and eommunicutin with the openings (ll, ti, and B. 'lhreederv into the top sortion ol this extension H is a slvo-rusi having s {hart '5. passing there- W and such vsive-oasin is provided at its up or end with it valve esignsted as s winds n," J} whip-rod to out ofl the of compressed sir which it admits. The extension 1'1 1 extends: through and beyond the mold, so thst the portion of said extension beyond the molri constitutes s hehier by rhir-h the last and shoe are held in proper position the mohl is closed.

I), M, and M" are a three-pert volcanism mold inelosing the last and a oonsiclersb e' portion of the upn erd extension H. The division-Kine between the mold-base L and the sirie parts is substantially at the sole-line, whiie the division-line between the side parts M and M is substantially in the central longitudinal line of the boot or shoe. Any suitable means may be employed for opening end olosng these mold parts and also for providing them with the requisite hoot for vuloenizstion.

The 0 oration is as follows: A shoe or boot K is bui i. of the usual unvulesnizerl materials for rubber footwear upon the last, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, or it may be built s )On another lost and transferred to this one. he top edge In of the shoe or boot will lie against the surface of the plate F, BJItl the sole of the a I: of the shoe l I shoe or boot will lie against thoplate E, while.-

all other portions of the shoe or boot will lie against the flexible last member D. The last carrying the shoe is then placed within the mold, as showri inl igs. 4 and 5, the mold is closed, and the vulcan-izing heat applied and continued long enough to complete the Vulcnnization. l s soon as the mold is closed air-pressure of, say, seventy-five pounds to the square inch is admitted past the valve J and extends through the )HSSIVTGS in the extension ll into the Ullillfl)0l o? the body A and thence out through the lateral openings (7 into the space (1 between the body A-and the flexible mold member D, which dis tended by surh air-pressurc so as to exert a sutlicient pressure in opposition to the mold to cause the proper vulcanization of the walls of the boot or shoe interposed between it and the mold.

It will thus be seen that the sole of the boot or shoe is vulcanized while under ressure bctween two solid materials-name y, the plate E and the mold-base 11; also, that the edge or boot openii'ig is vulcanized while pressed between two solids-namely, between the edge of the plate l5 and the mold parts M and M"; but it will be observed that all those portions of the boot or shoe lying between the sole and the edge are vulcanized under the pressure of the flexible material D distended by the elastic force of a fluid, such as compressed air. The solid plate E will be to a certain extent cushioned by that portion of the material 1) lying between it and the last-body A, so that the plate E may yield slightly toward the body of the last, such yieldingbeing often advantageous in practice.

Having thus described. my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1,. A last containing, in combination, an upper and a lower clamp and an inflatable member extending between said clamps.

2. A. last containing a rigid lower pressing member, a rigid upper pressing membrane clamp adjacent to said upper pressing memher and an inflatable member secured by said clamp. I

3. A last containing an upper pressing member, a fluid passage through the same, a clam adpicent to the same, an-.1nflatable mem )er secured to said clamp and a body portion whereby said inflatable member is ield toward the sole.

4. A. last containing, in combination, a body portion providing a fluid-chamber, an inflatable member surrounding said chamber and means )rovided on said body ortion whereby said inflatable member is hel above and below.

5. A last containing, in combination, arigid body portion ,an inflatable member extending around and beneath said body portion and a solcilateseeured to said body portion underneath said. inflatable member.

6. A. last containing, in combination, a body portion, an inflatable member extending around and underneath said body portion, a sole-plate whereby said inflatable member is clan'iped to said. body portion and a clamp whereby the upper edge of said inflatable portion. is secured to said body portion.

7. in combination with the chambered body portion of a last, an upward extension adapted to form a holder for the same and containing a longitudinal perforation eonneeting with said chamber and an inflatable member secured to and extending around said body portion.

8. A last containing, in combination, a body portion A, a sole-plate E, a top plate F and a flexible easing clamped against said body portion by said plates.

9. A last eon.taining,in combination, a hollow body portion A provided with openingsB and a flexible coverin surroundi said body portion outside of t e openings and means whereby "said flexible covering is clamped to said body portion around said opening B.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAURICE C. CLARK. Witnesses ROBERT W. BURBANK, MARVIN E. MERIWETHER. 

